Summary

A feminist poem humorously illustrates the struggle for fairness and equality in a supermarket scenario, playing on the phrase "when there's a will, there's a way."

Abstract

The poem "I Took My Will To The Supermarket" by Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) is a creative take on feminist ideology, set in an everyday situation. It begins with a woman taking her resolve to a supermarket, only to encounter a man who tries to cut in line under the pretext of having fewer items. The woman's will, personified, challenges this unfairness, but is initially met with resistance from both male and female bystanders. The poem progresses to a satirical resolution where the collective wills decide the outcome through a game of chance, highlighting the absurdity of arbitrary decision-making processes. The piece concludes by acknowledging the original poetry prompt by Ramyeon Lee and invites others to participate in the challenge, emphasizing the inclusive and ongoing nature of the conversation around gender equality.

Opinions

The poem suggests that societal norms often lead to unfair situations, particularly for women.
It criticizes the tendency of men to expect preferential treatment in public spaces.
The personification of 'will' in the poem underscores the importance of assertiveness and the power of collective action.
The use of humor and irony serves to highlight the absurdity of gender-based inequalities.
The poem implies that democracy, as a system for resolving conflicts, can be reduced to a game of chance when not underpinned by principles of fairness and equality.
The tagging of other writers and the open invitation to participate in the poetry prompt reflects a call to action for broader engagement in discussions about feminism and equality.

POETRY PROMPT

I Took My Will To The Supermarket

A feminist poem about alignment.

I took my will to the supermarket What a trip! — She said That’s the only one we’re getting these days

She filled the basket with chocolate and coffee We queued at the check-out A man’s will asked if he could be served first I only have a few stuff — he said Of course — said my will - go on

So the man called three of his mates and they all put things on the belt

Excuse me — said my will This is not fair

Honey, it’s me and my mates there’s the Superbowl going on can’t we be late?

Excuse her — said another woman’s will That is not fair

Love, mind your own business — said a man’s will Excuse her — said their will That is not fair

We took our wills to the director’s office and they said it was none of their business

Who’s business is it then? — said my will This is your supermarket! — said my mate’s wills Rock, paper, scissors?

We got to a count. 4 to 3 wills. Democracy, baby! — said my will

We, the winning wills will have chocolate and coffee, there’s the Superbowl going on, can’t we be late?

When there is (more than) one will, there is a way.

This is a response to Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她)’s poetry prompt: “when there’s a will, there’s a way”. Tagging: Aimée Gramblin | Melanie J. | Michael Trigg | Julia Appa | Tosin Sanusi

How to join: include the original post of the person who tagged you for reference and tag 5–10 other people (or simply ‘tag all’) who might be interested in this prompt! (Ps, there’s no deadline!)